Category: Frugality

Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Emergency Preparedness, Finances, Frugality, Homesteading, Minimalism, Prepping

Frugal Fridays – The Budget

Lisa Burbank

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 17)

Washing out a bread wrapper to repurpose it as a sandwich wrap. Buying a book of matches to keep in the bathroom as a quick and inexpensive way to eliminate odors. Wearing a pair of jeans twice before washing them. Combining errands to save on gasoline. None of these practices by themselves will make a big dent in your budget. However, when combined with a host of other money saving practices, they may.

Another important practice—probably the most important one—is budgeting.

Yes, I know that’s almost a “dirty” word for many people. However, this is a skill that should be taught from grammar school on up through college until it is second nature. I cannot tell you how many people I know who don’t know how to manage money. The concept is completely foreign to them.

One of my ex-husbands (yeah, one of those rare times I’m bringing one of them up!) looked at his paycheck each month. For the sake of this exercise, let’s say he earned $2000 each month. His rent/mortgage payment was $1200. He paid $150 per month for electricity, $300 for groceries, $50 for his phone, and $150 for heat. A cable company offered him this great-sounding package for $150 each month, all the movie channels. He’d jump on it. He can afford it. He makes $2000 a month. Forgotten was the grand total for all the other expenses he had: $1850. Yes, there’s another $150 available there. But, he neglected to include gasoline for his car. Ditto for taxes, oil changes, tires, etc. He smoked. He drank beer. None of that was budgeted either. He maxed himself out and then, when something broke and needed repair or replacement, he had nothing to fall back on, and nothing saved. Instead, he’d fall behind, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Sometimes that happens anyway, no matter how carefully we budget. Layoffs, recessions, injuries, illnesses, even some discriminatory actions that may crop up from time to time, may have an impact even with a budget. My own circumstances are like that. The new mortgage payment, amortizing in all the overdue payments from the injury in 2019, is quite high and doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room…especially with intermittent running water requiring Mom and I to buy it in. But, this overall circumstance didn’t arise from a lack of budgeting. It’s been a lack of income. You cannot budget what isn’t there in the first place. However, having a budget–complete with some sort of savings plan–certainly helps. Having a budget lets you see just where you might be able to cut some corners to ease some of the burden.

Having a budget can also help when looking for a new job. If you need $2000 a month just for your most basic needs, you need a job that pays at least that much. Or you need to find something you can do on the side to generate supplemental income.

I used to pet sit on the side. Having a budget helps with side hustles, too. The client may be willing to pay you $20 a day to take care of their pets for them but, if you have to drive an hour each way to care for them, you’ll lose money on the gasoline you’re using. If things are tight, will you even have the gas money to put into your tank in the first place so you can get to the job?

A budget is a means of preparing for as many eventualities as you can. It won’t shield you from every calamity but, having a budget—especially one that includes some sort of savings (even if it’s just spare change; amazing how quickly that adds up)—is one of the most empowering skills you can have. Budgeting takes you from being a victim of circumstance to being a survivor…and a confident one at that.

May God bless you & keep you!

Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animals, Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Compassion, Exhaustion, Faith, Frugality, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Herbs, Homesteading, Minimalism, Politics, Prayer, Prepping, Proofreading, Religion, Scripture, Spinning, Weaving, Writing, YouTube

Going Forward

Lisa Burbank

“You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry–now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fracturs, for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah” (Psalm 60: 1-4)

            The water’s out again. It’s happening more frequently these days. We’ll have running water for a few days, and then the taps will run dry for 2, 3…one time 9 days’ straight. We’ve considered that a combination of local drought, mixed with the flood we had last year, may have run the well dry—or semi-dry. That’s a scary thought but, a credible one. Of course, it could still be that I need to replace the pump, or the resident rodent population chewed a wire somewhere. At this point, we simply don’t know. And the means to find out exactly what’s wrong, and actually get it fixed, is beyond me at the moment. We could be talking tens of thousands of dollars when all is said and done.

As I said in a previous post, I am bodaciously tired of all of this. The struggle has become unbearable. Moving would be our best option. This may be home but, home needs way more TLC than I can give it to make it comfortable and safe again. The problem is my credit is toast at this point. Can I hang in here long enough to rebuild my credit before home becomes completely uninhabitable? We’re almost there now.

            So many things, so many worries…I still have some juvenile felines that need spaying. The roof still leaks. Even when the water runs, there’s no hot water; the tank died a year and a half ago. We heat water for bathing on the stove…or rather the hot plate. The stove no longer works either. The house is a fright. This last because I’ve allowed depression to get the better of me. The task is too enormous and there never seems to be enough time. It’s nothing some serious elbow grease wouldn’t fix but, still, it can be overwhelming with all that needs doing and fixing. I’d love to rent the biggest dumpster imaginable and just toss almost everything in it, start anew, and less is best.

            On the plus side, my friend’s little boy made his First Communion yesterday. What a cause for rejoicing! His little face was aglow as he accepted the body of Christ for the first time. Quite a lot of extended family came to church to celebrate with him, including his older brother home from college. The only downside was the low number of children making that First Communion. I praise God for the 5 who received it. However, I remember the long line of children making their First Communion when I was a child. Sad that people do not make religious education a priority today. Maybe we’d have fewer shootings, fewer suicides, less drug addiction and abuse. Maybe not but, even a tiny seed of hope planted in the heart can do wonders. That’s what Jesus does for you; He fills you with hope. When you have Him, no earthly concern can truly hurt you.

            I’m also doing a weed walk next month, my first. I hope to create new business cards beforehand so I can pass them out to any who join the walk. I’m hoping to build a local following before I start uploading videos to YouTube. I want to get comfortable with the teaching aspect of it before I have to do it on camera. There’s also the whole technical learning curve before YouTube becomes a *thing* in my life. I will, of course, share the link once I finally do hit YouTube. In the meantime, there’s local weed walks and workshops…and a renewed commitment to build a brand through my blogs.

Yes, blogs…with an S.

Most who have been following me for a while know I also have an author’s page. I’m still working on the first novel but, I occasionally do book reviews on my author’s page. I am looking to get more intentional with that, too. The link is https://lisaburbank.wordpress.com

Then there’s the latest blog. This one started as a classroom assignment. We were asked to build a website for selling your product(s) and/or services online as a freelance writer. Well, I confess, I don’t sell any services as a freelance writer. Maybe in time I will. I’m pretty good at editing. And I’m gaining some experience with grant writing since becoming the director of a library. But, as a student, even having scaled back to part-time studies, the time needed to edit another’s work, or assist someone in the grant writing process, would be overwhelming. And, to be honest, when I consider selling those services, it makes more sense to me to do so through my author’s page.

However, that didn’t fly with the professor; I tried. It had to be a new website.

Now that the boring bibliography-about-nothing-in-particular is gone, I can revamp it.

Over the years, The Herbal Hare has been such a hodge-podge of *stuff*. I’m looking to get more intentional with what I include here vs. what should probably go somewhere else. For example, some years’ ago, I wrote a piece about growing up with alcoholism in the home and how it affects the whole family, sometimes for generations. I received a lot of new followers but, it didn’t have anything to do with homesteading, herbs, or prepping, and I lost a lot of those followers who didn’t like the new direction. I’ve also gotten social/political a time or two…and alienated some readers with that. I’m hoping that https://auntielisaspeaks.com will be an alternative. The Herbal Hare will remain a blog about herbs, homesteading, prepping, fiber arts, frugal living, minimalism, antiquated skills, animal husbandry and, yeah, still a bit of a hodge-podge. Homesteading encompasses a lot of ground.

Auntie Lisa Speaks will be one-part memoir, one-part social commentary, and one-part call to action to remember that no matter the issue, there’s a real person on the other end of the screen. Their thoughts and feelings do matter, and their struggles are real. Part of that call to action will also be a call to follow Christ; our country really needs God back at the center of things again.

May God bless you & keep you!

Christianity, Compassion, Emergency Preparedness, Frugality, God/Jesus, Prepping

Frugal Friday: Water Source

Lisa Burbank

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:22)

Having to buy in water can get pretty costly, and it’s certainly not sustainable long-term. A gallon jug of water averages around $1.50 – $2.00 here in Connecticut. I’ve shared how Mom and I have had intermittent water service here at home due to either a faulty well-pump (it’s lasted over 20 years so I guess we’re due to replace soon…), or a chewed wire somewhere. In addition to providing drinking water for Mom and I, we have goats, chickens, ducks, cats, and a feisty old Cockatiel named Smoky Bones for which to provide. We also have to bathe and, well, yes, without a functioning water source, flushing becomes an issue, too.

I may have shared this before but, it bears repeating if I did. With inflation, the threat of both nuclear war, and at least a recession, on the horizon, knowing what to do when the most basic systems go down is pretty important. Of course, if systems go down, this particular source will not be there either but, for lesser disasters, such as the one Mom and I are currently experiencing, it works…at least for the short-term.

Walmart has a refill service.

They have one-, two- and five-gallon jugs that can be refilled in store. I normally take 15 jugs in to refill every couple of days. It’s still an expense I’d rather avoid but, until I can replace/repair everything, it’s considerably less than buying new gallons every few days. You can either purchase a few refillable jugs from the company that provides the reverse osmosis machine, or Walmart will also allow customers to refill their “Great Value” jugs for the same inexpensive price of .39 cents (at least the local Walmart allows this; hopefully, yours does, too). The same 15 gallons costs me less than $6.00…instead of almost $17.00 for new.

Incidentally, many of the cashiers have expressed appreciation for writing “REFILL” on the jugs when you bring them back for refilling; it helps with ringing them up. Otherwise, you might get charged for new ones. I use a regular Sharpie. It shows up big and bold.

I do not wish this existence on anyone but, it’s always good to know where to go, and what to do, when these things do happen.

May God bless you & keep you!

Alcoholism, Christianity, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Frugality, Healing, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Organic, Prepping, Recipes, Religion, Scripture, Spices

Wednesday’s Weed Walk: Tinctures

Lisa Burbank

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Genesis 1:29)

Though it is a couple of weeks’ late, as promised, this week’s Wednesday Weed Walk isn’t so much about a specific herb but, about a way to preserve the herbs for future use when not in their growing, or harvest, seasons.

A tincture is, in my opinion anyway, the easiest way to make medicine. You can tincture a single herb, or blend them. I tend to do the latter…except when I’m making my own vanilla extract (recipe below).

To tincture herb(s), you need a clean, sterile container (repurposed glass Mason jars work well!) and, preferably, 100 proof alcohol of some kind. I use 100 proof vodka to tincture my herbs but other mediums, such as rum, would also work. You can use an 80 proof and broaden the selection of spirits but, you will need a few capsules of vitamin E oil added against spoilage, as anything less than 100 proof may mold. Apple cider vinegar (ACV), also with added vitamin E oil, will work for short-term storage. With ACV, you will have to store your tinctures in the refrigerator and they will only keep for 2 weeks, at best. When tincturing in 100 proof alcohol, your tinctures remain shelf-stable for up to 2 years. However, if you, or someone you love, is susceptible to alcoholism, or for young children, ACV may be the better option for you.

Tincturing is simple. You measure your herbs into a jar and pour the alcohol, or ACV, over them until they are covered with the liquid. Then you put a lid on the jar, label it with the contents, ingredients, the date you started the tincturing, and the batch #. This last isn’t 100% necessary but, if you decide to sell herbal products, having a running batch # is helpful should any adverse reactions occur. Depending upon the medium you used, you place the tincture into the refrigerator, or in a dark cabinet (too much light will destroy the healing properties), and shake it daily for two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, you can either leave the spent-herbs inside, and strain as you use it, or strain them now, at the two week mark, into another clean and sterile jar, or dark-colored bottle.

You can use fresh herbs, or dried. If using dried, remember the herbs will have a higher concentration of medicinal properties to them. 1/3 of the amount of dried herbs suffices. So, if you normally measure 1 tablespoon of, say, fresh chamomile, you would only use a teaspoon of the dried.

Making medicine is the part I like the best but, you can also use this method to create extracts for the kitchen, such as vanilla. To make vanilla extract, you will need a dark jar/bottle of some kind (you can find online, or many herb shops will sell them), or a dark cabinet to store them if using clear glass. It doesn’t need to be a large bottle. A couple of ounces suffices. Think of the tiny bottles that vanilla extract comes in at the grocery store. Anyway, take 2-3 vanilla beans, slice them in half lengthwise, and put them in the bottle (if bottle is short, you may also need to cut them in half the other way, too). Fill the bottle with 100 proof alcohol, screw on the cap, give it a shake and let it tincture for two weeks. Once the two weeks are over, however, in this case, you will NOT be straining the liquid into another container. Instead, keep the vanilla beans in the liquid. As you use it, you can simply top it off with more 100 proof alcohol, and/or add more vanilla beans over time. Also, in this case, the ACV will NOT work. However, any concerns over the alcohol content should be unfounded as the alcohol burns off in the cooking/baking process.

This same method will work for almonds, lemon peels, etc. too.

May God bless you & keep you!

19th century, Christianity, compost, Culture, Emergency Preparedness, Faith, Frugality, Homesteading, Minimalism, Prepping, Spinning, Straw Braiding, Tradition, Weaving, Zero Waste

Living in an Amish Paradise?

Lisa Burbank

“Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before, and God will call the past to account.” (Ecclesiastes 3:15)

A year ago November, the hot water tank blew a hole. We had a major flood in the basement and I got the equivalent of sticker shock when my electric bill, which is normally around $80-$90 a month, shot up into the thousands. With the hole in the tank, my well-pump was perpetually running, trying to fill the tank…until I discovered the flood and mitigated the loss of water. We’ve been heating water on the stove to bathe ever since. The damage, besides just being an old unit, was further impacted by the water softener, which had also died a slow, watery death (no pun intended). The build-up of too much iron on pipes and fittings had hastened its end.

Well, all that added wear and tear from perpetually running may have escalated the well-pump’s rumble towards its eternal death, too. Since last fall, we have had intermittent periods where all of a sudden, you go to turn on a tap and nothing comes out. However, within a couple of hours, we have running water again. It’s been touch and go.

Wednesday night, I went to fill a couple of gallon jugs to run through the water purifier before I went to bed…and nothing. As it was late, I went to bed assuming it would be back on in the morning.

It wasn’t.

36 hours later, we are still without running water. I’m thinking Wednesday night’s last run was, well, it’s last. However, I have done some trouble shooting online. It may also be a tripped circuit breaker. As my basement is a dark, dusty crawl space, I am waiting for the sun to fully rise and Mom to come downstairs with our only working flashlight so that I may go check. Recommendations also suggest shutting off the circuit breaker and then flipping it back on. We do have some electrical repairs that need to be done so, that could also be the issue. I had an electrician out to inspect but, he will have to take out a few walls to find out what it is…which will be a costly repair.

Ugh! It’s all happening at once.

I had a moment the other day where my nostalgia for the place got under the skin and I started thinking about repairs and remodels and landscaping projects, etc. I’ve had 20+ years of imagining how much this place could shine if I could finally get the needed repairs done. There’s the added bonus that I can walk to work. I can walk to the super Walmart if needed. I can walk to church. Six years’ ago, for anybody who has been following that long, walking was all I did due to not having a car for several months. In short, despite it’s derelict state of affairs, this house is centrally located to everything relevant to my life.

Of course, there’s still a zoning issue to consider…but I was doing just that. Can I find that attorney who can pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat?

And, lo and behold, the pump gave out. Clearly, He is telling me, it is time to move on. It’s time to take up my cross and follow Him to wherever He leads. I don’t know where that is. Or how it will happen. I think it’s called walking by faith. I suspect, when the right place/situation comes along He’ll let me know…even as I flounder with uncertainty that such a place even exists.

It is incredibly quiet in the house now…except for a bunch of juvenile felines batting around their ping-pong track (not sure what else to call it; donut-shaped apparatus with tracks for blinking ping-pong like balls).

Apparatus with flashing ping-pong balls; don’t look too closely, a lot of dust and grubby paw prints, needs another scrubbing!

Amazing how quiet a home can be without the modern white noises running incessantly in the background.

That was one of the things that I loved about my job in living history museums: the peace and tranquility inside the antiquated houses. Like here, there was still the occasional pop-on of a furnace (the heat is needed to preserve the old houses) but, the incessant buzz of all the other modern-day “guts” was absent. Hence, my romanticization of 19th century life was reaffirmed.

Of course, in the 19th century, homes may not have had running water (unless they lived in a valley and could situate their well at the top of a hill…). Instead, they had a hand-pump to get water from their wells. There’s a company in Kidron, Ohio called Lehman’s that sells mostly Amish, and definitely American, made products. One of those products is hand-pumps. If I was staying, or if I’m ever lucky enough to obtain that backwoods home in Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont (Missouri?), there will be a hand-pump installed. If for no other reason, then for power outages when the electric pump does not work. While modern “conveniences” are nice, we have grown too dependent upon them–in my opinion anyway–and go into a panic every time a natural disaster, or other hiccough in the system, comes along.

However, even lacking the necessary infrastructure, so many water-saving lessons that I learned in living history museums are being put to use. I used to laugh that not too many modern employers would look at a resume and think, “Let’s hire this girl!” because my previous duties included spinning, weaving, straw braiding, and cooking on a hearth. But life–home life–appears to benefitting from those lessons.

Who knew?

Yesterday I set up the pitcher and wash bowl so we could brush our teeth and wash our hands. We actually use much, much less water that way. A couple of wash tubs filled with hot water to wash and then rinse dishes also saved more water than turning on a tap to rinse. Granted, a shower would be nice but, bowl baths will suffice in this pinch. And, while we’re using 19th century practices to conserve, from a financial standpoint, this won’t be sustainable in the long-run as, without the hand-pump, we are buying in water again. But we can get by for now…until I call around to some of the energy assistance facilities to see if there’s any help available to resolve some of this. (Please send lots of prayers!)

Of course, I can almost hear the elephant in the room: without water, you also cannot flush. Composting toilets are the new thing today, especially with tinyhouse owners. We have a crude, 19th century “composting toilet” (bucket with an old toilet seat atop it), with a bag of sawdust/shavings beside it to sprinkle over the top after we use it. Amazingly, any odor is quickly doused and less offensive than the flushing toilet. We have a canister out back for composting it later. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. This, too, shall pass.

May God bless you & keep you!

Christianity, Cooking, Creativity, ecosystems, Emergency Preparedness, Frugality, gardening, Homesteading, Human rights, illness, Minimalism, Nature, Politics, Poverty, Prayer, Prepping, Self-improvement

The Best Investment Made on the Homestead

Lisa Burbank

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before Him, and around Him a tempest rages.” (Psalm 50:1-3)

In an earlier blog post, I talked about how when under extreme amounts of stress we often get “stupid”. Or, perhaps a better way of putting it, the feeling of being overwhelmed becomes so great that staying on top of even the littlest thing becomes a challenge. Translation: yours truly has been seriously off her game for way too long.

I didn’t check the level of oil in the furnace this weekend past. My bad!

Yesterday, Mom thought the house was starting to feel a little chilly. She fired up the woodstove, which is fine. Temps are supposed to be minus zero this weekend and I had purchased some bundles of wood to supplement the oil. Prices are ridiculous, which is probably why some part of me didn’t check the gauge: avoidance. This is the first year in a long time without full heating assistance. With my new salary, we no longer qualify. That’s not a lamentation; I am extremely grateful, especially after so many years of want. But this winter is an adjustment…and yes, I dropped the ball.

We are out of oil.

I called George at the local oil company and he will deliver later this morning. However, unlike so many others who would be in dire straits in such brutal cold, we weathered it just fine because we are not bound by one source of heat. The woodstove I purchased back in 2011 has been the best investment into this homestead that I have made so far. Power outages, extreme temperatures, and yes, even human error have proven to me time and again what a valuable investment it was. It has more than paid for itself in the last 12 years. When I can’t afford cords of wood, deadfall, bio-bricks, which you can make yourself (more on that in another post…), or even old pallets cut up will do in an emergency. I can even heat water, or cook, on it in a pinch.

We are also not 100% reliant on “the system”.

This is the real reason why so many people turn to homesteading and prepping. I know this last is often associated with negative connotations. “Prepper”, to some, may conjure up images of some guy in camo, fully armed, living off roots and reindeer carcasses in the wilderness. Sure, this stereo-type is ready for anything–supposedly–but, prepping is just homesteading taken a step beyond. We’re not just reducing our dependency on modern systems, such as food, heating, and transportation; we’re also planning and preparing for a total system shutdown. And, if that last word conjures images of 2020 2.0, you would be right.

The pandemic should’ve be a lesson to us all. Systems break down. Supplies don’t always get through on time. Illnesses, injuries, and natural disasters happen. There is no way of knowing when, or for how long, these things will last, the toll that they may take. Inflation, and a potential world war, may be our next breakdown of systems; prepping, to my mind, is the only sensible course to take.

That being said, financial difficulties in recent years have put me behind on my prepping. Prepping kept me solvent for over 2 years after losing all 3 jobs that I had been working when the Great Recession hit. Unless your last name is Gates, Fauci, or Schwab, no human being’s finances will last them forever…no matter how carefully we plan, save, or how frugally we live. But careful planning, frugal living, and saving will serve you well for much longer than any government assistance that may, or may not, be forthcoming in a crisis.

For those who rent, no, installing a woodstove may not be an option for you. However you may be able to create a small grocery budget for, say, $10.00 extra each month to purchase extra canned and frozen foods. No, not the healthiest options but, it’s always good to have them around. Organize them by expiration dates. Those that will expire first, place at the front of the cabinet, drawer, or closet. Add new products to the back so you don’t take them first and allow older food to spoil. Even if you don’t garden, learn how to can and ferment food. When able, take advantage of sales and can, or ferment, whatever your family won’t eat before it all spoils. You can do this with food donations from a food pantry, too, if you are in such dire straits as to need them. It’s nothing to be ashamed of; Mom and I have had to rely on such extra ourselves in recent years. It falls under the heading of “sh** happens”. And, as much of the gifts received from a food pantry may be day-old and won’t last so long, canning or fermenting will extend the shelf life. You can also extend the life of canned goods nearing their date. Heat them up, or pre-cook meals, and freeze them in serving-sized bowls to be re-heated at a later date. Be sure to label them and, like the canned goods on your shelves, place newer additions to the back of the freezer. They should be fine for up to 3 months in the freezer. Peruse army/navy surplus stores for cold weather gear. Purchase a small tent that can be put up in your living room, or bedroom, to help you conserve heat should systems fail. Keep a supply of bottled water, extra pet food, candles and/or oil lamps with their oil, and matches on hand.

And don’t vote for anyone who wants to take away your right to grow and/or preserve food for yourself and your family, or heat your home with a fuel that grows naturally and can be found by a quick walk through nature. This isn’t conspiracy theory; it’s common sense. It is much easier to hold onto the freedoms we already have than to get back any we’ve lost. Government may make it look more attractive, such as with these 15 minute cities where everything is conveniently within a 15 minute walk from home, but the cost is always higher than the convenience is truly worth.

When all else fails, pray without ceasing…in fact, pray without ceasing before it all fails.

May God bless you & keep you!

Christianity, Cooking, Creativity, Frugality, Homesteading, Minimalism, Poverty

Learning to Live on Less

Lisa Burbank

“Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 9:11)

I’ve talked a lot about my financial difficulties over the last couple of years (probably ad nauseum for many!) If this is your first visit here, I fractured my shoulder in 2019 and lost my job due to time missed recovering. For those who have been following for a while, you also know the extent of those difficulties. It’s been stressful and frustrating and downright scary at times; still is. But, the significant number of missed mortgage payments notwithstanding, how have we been surviving? We is my mother, a small farm complete with livestock and pets, and myself.

For starters, the wi-fi I’m using right now is the only “luxury” we have. If it wasn’t for my classes (50-something returning for my Masters in Creative Writing), I could eschew wi-fi, too. We don’t have cable or satellite (i.e. no paid TV). We don’t pay for any streaming services. And, since coming to work in a library, I seldom buy books…unless I’ve already checked it out a few times and know I’ll read it again. Neither of us is fond of movie theaters or sports.

So what do we do for entertainment?

Well, we read a lot. We play board games. Scrabble is our favorite. We play cards, mostly Rummy. We took a $10 art class through the church a couple of years ago and painted our first acrylic landscapes. I came home thinking I was Monet and painted a mural on the wall of my office.

In short, living on less means getting creative and also, connecting with others. Sure, we still do a lot of screen time. Mom has a lot games downloaded onto the tablet she got for either Christmas or her birthday. I, of course, write.

Entertainment is a big chunk of expense for many people.

We don’t have a washer and dryer. I take everything to the laundromat. Yes, the machines are a bit pricy. However, my electric bill is lower. If I had town water instead of a well, my water bill would be significantly less, too. We hand wash many things, especially in the summer when they can dry outside on a line, or on a clothing rack.

We don’t have a dishwasher either. I know many so-called “experts” claim it uses less water than doing it by hand. That’s only true if you leave your faucet running non-stop instead of turning it off between rinses. What a waste of water and resources! It may seem like pennies but, those pennies add up. They’re better off in you pocket, or in an old jar to turn in at the bank when it’s full.

I save bread wrappers. I rinse them out and allow them to air dry. Then I use them for wrapping sandwiches to take to work for lunch. And, yes, I brown bag it. Unless your employer provides free lunch every day, those lunches out can add up pretty quick.

Ditto for the coffee and donuts on the way into the office. Give yourself time in the morning to eat a good breakfast and brew extra at home to pour into a travel mug. Speaking of which, that fancy Keurig machine? I won’t even allow one in the house. Ditch it. It’s costing you too much for coffee. A 40.3 oz. canister of Folger’s coffee costs $11.97 at Walmart. Each canister makes approximately 380 cups. Divide 11.97 by 380 and you get a little over .03 per cup. A 48 pack of Folger’s K-Cups costs $26.72 at Walmart. Divide $26.72 by 48 and you get around .56 per cup. Or, another way to figure it is to get the same number of cups of coffee from the K-Cups, you would have to purchase 7.9 cases of 48 at a grand total of $211.62. That’s almost $200 more for the same amount of coffee. You’re paying all that extra for convenience. A heaping tablespoon of coffee for every cup you’re brewing will produce a great-tasting cup.

When you’ve mastered freshly-brewed coffee, move onto cooking and baking from scratch. I believe there’s another blog post in the archives where I break down the savings on a loaf of homemade bread. It came out to, like, .30 per loaf.

These are just some of the things we do, or have done, to live on less. Your wallet will thank you. And, in these uncertain times, those few pennies really do add up.

May God bless you & keep you!

Animals, Bereavement, Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Climate Change, Community, Cooking, Culture, Emergency Preparedness, Faith, Family, Fashion, Fiber Arts, Fleece, Frugality, gardening, God/Jesus, Healing, Herbs, History, Homesteading, Human rights, Humanity First, Introvert, Minimalism, Nature, Politics, Prepping, Wool, YouTube

The Call to Homestead

Lisa Burbank

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

The need to become more self-sufficient has moved from yearning to this almost panic-filled need. We’re running out of time. Both economic depression and the threat of nuclear war loom, and our leaders fly off to Davos to plot how to take everything away from the average working class citizen. There have been countless headlines quoting Mr. Schwab as saying we will own nothing and we will be happy about it. I’m probably paraphrasing a bit but, the overall gist is there. Yes, I can play devil’s advocate here a moment and say, sure, maybe it’s propaganda, a conspiracy theory. But, what if it isn’t? What if the goal really is a 15 minute city where we will own nothing for ourselves?

Would we be happier without ownership?

First of all, as a Christian, anything I own I do so by the grace of God. What I have truly belongs to Him. Would I be happier having those gifts taken away?

Despite the new position at the library, I’m still staring foreclosure in the face. It’s a lengthy and stressful process and there’s no guarantee that I will be successful in my endeavors. One could argue that, if I wasn’t a homeowner, this stress would not exist. I wouldn’t be fretting about losing everything that I have worked for in my life up to this point. And that is true. There’s also the multitude of repairs that fall on my shoulders as homeowner…repairs that have gotten out of hand in recent years. There’s the zoning issue still hovering over me like a black cloud. In short, the more you have, the more you stand to lose.

But, let’s spin this around a bit.

If we don’t own anything, what is the point of working, of setting goals? Whether we own a house, a car, etc. doesn’t change the fact that we still have to have food to eat. That is also true. But isn’t the purchasing of food a form of ownership? If you don’t own the place where you live, it is likely your landlord will not allow you to put in a garden. You won’t be able to raise livestock for eggs, for dairy, for meat…if you eat such things. I was a vegetarian for over 20 years. I know one can survive without consuming animal flesh. However, the loss of certain B vitamins, especially B-12, wreaks havoc with your nervous system. Stress, anxiety, depression often stem from a lack of these vitamins. And supplements are expensive. The purchase of such is also a form of ownership.

Now let’s go back to the garden. You can’t have one. You don’t own the land upon which your leased/rented home sits. What if you truly enjoy gardening? And what if you’re an introvert, like me, and the thought of a community garden makes you feel physically ill at times? If it’s not YOUR garden alone, you may be limited by what you can plant there. If you’re a herbalist like me, growing purely medicinal plants would likely be prohibited. Big Pharma doesn’t like competition, or a loss of control. So you don’t own the land. You can’t garden, which brings you joy. You can’t grow the types of food you enjoy eating. You can’t grow and make your own medicines, or even health and beauty aids. You’ll have to buy from big box stores, or online retailers. What’s in that food? That medicine? That skincare supplement?

Okay. You’re not a gardener. Maybe you like swimming in a pool, hosting backyard barbecues. Guess what? You can’t do that either. It’s not your land. And the people at Davos, who fly around in their private jets, just decreed that barbecues are environmentally unfriendly. The smoke produces too much CO2. As do cows. No steak. No hamburgers. No cheese to melt over that petrie dish substitute.

What if you’re not an outdoors kind of person at all? You don’t own your home. The landlord doesn’t allow pets. He/she doesn’t want you painting the walls. Your place isn’t big enough for a workshop to build things, like furniture. And your kitchen only consists of a microwave and a single induction burner. Baking, canning what you grew at the community garden, or cooking healthy meals is next to impossible (microwaves destroy all of the wholesome goodness in the food cooked in them). You can’t knit. Raising livestock is outlawed (that CO2 thing again) so no wool, angora, or mohair to work with. Acrylics will disappear, too, since we’re no longer drilling for oil.

Maybe you like taking the occasional long drive in the country. Yes, improvements in batteries for electric vehicles (EV) are happening all the time these days. But at what cost to the environment? No, oil and gasoline are not infinite resources. Neither are cadmium or nickel, or any other precious metal. Yes, drilling for oil does tremendous harm to the environment. But so does mining for these metals. Like coal, mountains are dug out, and run-off from the mining pollutes the soil and water. However, to get back on subject, you want to take that drive. But you don’t own a vehicle–EV or otherwise–and the EVs left at the community garage are all in use today. Sorry.

Does this sound like a happy existence?

If we own nothing, we also cease to own our joy. By owning nothing, we give up our right to choose for ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want some wrinkled up prune in Davos telling me I can’t pick a few dandelion leaves to feed to my rabbits, or even a salad for myself. I don’t want anyone telling me I can’t take a road trip someday to visit my brother in Tennessee because he’s outside of my 15 minute zone. I don’t want to eat synthetic, processed foods, or wear plastic clothing. I want the freedom to make truly healthy choices for me, my family, my pets, and my community.

I also don’t want to be at the mercy of the “system”. What happened in 2020 will last in my memory forever. The walk into the grocery store and seeing aisles of completely empty shelves. Companies, stores, libraries completely shutdown. Places of worship closed until further notice. Loved ones denied the right to say a proper “goodbye” to those they lost. The loss of employment for so many because they refused to become human guinea pigs in their real-world experiments. And now, watching so many young people–healthy, young athletes–dropping after accepting a jab to the arm as part of that experiment.

The less dependent on that “system” we are, the less that fabricated shortages, shutdowns, and experiments will hurt us. Even a window box will produce some food and reduce some of that dependence. It may not be enough to sustain you completely, but start there. Learn how to can food and pick up produce at a farmer’s market. Or even on sale at the grocery store. Learn how to make pet food from scratch. If you can, invest in a chest freezer. Find someone in your community who knows how to find and identify wild edibles. Visit your local library and check out books on the Great Depression. Or comb YouTube for videos on the same. What did our ancestors do to make it through? There is a sense of pride that comes with being able to make your own way in the world, in being able to cook from scratch, grow a few tomatoes and herbs in a pot, split wood for a fire in a stove.

There is a sense of pride in owning a home, too. Yes, you can become a slave to that ownership, especially during hard times. And there’s no denying the cost. Not everyone can afford homeownership and that is the real tragedy in our society today. Houses have gotten progressively bigger and more expensive. At the risk of sounding like one of those conspiracy theorists, perhaps that’s part of the plan from some of our leaders. But the freedom to live as one chooses is worth the fight.

Even Jesus gives us the right to choose.

May God bless you & keep you!

19th century, Books, Christianity, Creativity, Diversity, Frugality, Introvert, Proofreading, Writing, YouTube

Learning the Ropes

Lisa Burbank

“Lord, I am overflowing with your blessings, just as you promised. Now teach me good judgment as well as knowledge. For your laws are my guide.” (Psalms 119:65-66)

I approached the return to academia to earn my Masters in Creative Writing with a little trepidation. The frugal fanatic questioned the wisdom of racking up more student loan debt against the benefit in the job market of a higher degree…especially at my age (mid-50s). However, knowing my thesis will be the completion of my first manuscript, along with at least one full revision, the MFA program won out. If I don’t do this now, it’ll never happen.

I started this journey bent on also earning my teaching certificate for higher education (online classrooms only) and then, after the first term or two, I decided to switch to the Professional Writing program. I wrongfully assumed that it mostly involved advertising. I really hated the Intro to Advertising/Marketing that I took as an elective when I earned my Bachelor’s degree. Somehow the idea of perpetually trying to come up with new jingles to sell more products that I will probably never use, nor endorse, while competing with others in a cut-throat environment just didn’t appeal. Granted, there’s big money in advertising, and many love their careers in it. However, I couldn’t see this introvert being happy in such an environment, no matter how healthy the pay scale.

I’m learning that the professional writing program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a whole lot more; albeit, I am learning more about search engine and social media optimization, elevator pitches, and marketing along the way.

Ghostwriting; proofreading and/or editing for other writers; speech writing; web content; creating brochures and informational materials; articles; essays; newsletters, and blogs are all ways to supplement income and create a brand. Hence, the renewed interest in this blog, the desire to build a website that I can add to as products and services become available, and the ambition to learn more about podcasting, voiceover acting, and creating YouTube videos.

No, these last are not taught as part of the professional writing curriculum but, SNHU does stress diversity in the services you offer. Sort of a “don’t-put-all-your-eggs-into-one-basket” mentality. In today’s primarily part-time job market, it’s sound advice. The full-time, blue collar profession, with benefits and competitive wages, to which one can devote 20+ years and then retire, is a fond memory of our parents’ and grandparents’ generation. This Gen-X-er has always chafed and sneered at being called the “lost” or “forgotten” generation but, in this instance, it fits. Gen-X-ers grew up during the transition from full-time, blue collar and today’s advanced AI. When I was in high school, we were still being taught to focus on that one career that would stand us for much of our adult life while being introduced to DOS programming; Windows didn’t officially start until the year after I graduated. There’s been a constant learning curve ever since and I’m looking forward to learning still more…despite my obsession with all things 19th century.

How’s that for an oxymoron?

May God bless you & keep you!

Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal Rights, Animals, Appreciation, Christianity, Faith, Frugality, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Healing, Scripture, YouTube

Overcoming “Stupid”

Lisa Burbank

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118:24)

I read somewhere, can’t remember where exactly, but I remember reading somewhere that when you’re under a lot of stress, you get “stupid”. I.e. You make a lot of choices that you wouldn’t be making if you weren’t under so much stress. If your standard of living wasn’t stuck on survive…or even just going through the motions to make it look like you were surviving.

I’ve always hated the word “stupid”. My stepfather called all of us “stupid” on a routine basis. Such is the results of alcoholism and the subsequent abuse that usually accompanies it. But that’s neither here nor there.

“Stupid” works in this situation.

In the last couple of weeks since I’ve gotten my promotion at work, it’s like there’s this part of my brain waking up. “Wow. I haven’t thought of doing that in a long time,” says my brain as I cash my first paycheck in this new position and start labeling envelopes for everything I need to catch up on, or save up for. I’m on top of my billing schedule all of a sudden (maybe because I know I can make the payments?). Household chores are being taken up again. The apathy, depression, and anxiety are being put to sleep again. Problem solving, budgeting, and careful planning are jockeying into position.

Who knew.

Having been in therapy for decades from a childhood of abuse and degradation, my mind automatically starts analyzing everything. I feel like the “stupid” was really a self-defense mechanism kicking in. I lost a full-time job due to an injury (i.e. not my fault as I was laid up for several months) and fell behind on mortgage payments. I have new(er) neighbors challenging zoning…and threatening my goats, chickens, and ducks’ right to be here. My home needs a tremendous amount of work done. I have student loans coming down the pike and an out-of-control electric bill from a flooded basement last fall (well-pump not shutting off due to enormous hole blown in hot water tank…). We’re buying in water to drink due to my water softener dying on me. I feel like that self-defense mechanism kicked in and shut down logic and reason and common sense because maybe it was too much to handle. My mind could only focus on one thing: finding work to sustain me. And that was becoming a near thing.

Now, not only is logic and good reason, common sense and the ability to solve problems, budget, and plan returning, so is hope for a future.

Hence, my post from earlier this week about podcasts and YouTube channels and websites. Yes, I want to run with the wind. But, the perpetual fog I’ve been living under these last few years (yes, years), has tempered some of that run. I’m learning to walk again. Slow and steady wins this race.

And, of course, His grace, which has led me through this. It’s all in his hands. Faith has returned, too. It just took letting go of the reins. Not “stupid” at all.

May God bless you & keep you!